Workout
by WildwingSuz
Summary: Mulder talks Scully into trying out a new gym with him, but doesn’t tell her exactly what it is.


**Author's Notes:** I thought of this during my morning workout which consists of stretching, reps with five-pound weights, and a mile fast walk on the treadmill while watching episodes of the show on my laptop. It also partly occurred because a new gym opened nearby that's 24 hours and only charges by the use, though the concept of the _type_ of gym I came up with on my own to spice things up. And geez, having to watch the beginning of "Duane Barry" as research for the pool scene was torture, just horrible, let me assure you…!

Takes place in early Season 6, right before Triangle.

**Spoilers:** Small for Folie a Deux.

**Workou****t**  
By Suzanne L. Feld  
Rated PG

"Hey, Scully. Where do you work out?"

She looked up from the report she was editing. "What, Mulder?"

"What gym. Or club, whichever. I know you work out a couple times a week, where do you go?" He leaned back in his chair, popping a sunflower seed into his mouth from the pile on the right side of the desk.

"Michael's over on K street," she said, turning to look at him. "Why? You looking for a new gym?"

"I don't go to a gym, I run on the track at Georgetown and swim over at the Y. I heard about a new gym that I'd like to try out, but I don't want to go alone. They supposedly charge by the visit, not a year's sub. That's why I don't go anymore," he added, removing the shells from his mouth and placing them in the pile on the right side of his desk blotter. "I never feel like I get my money's worth if I don't go every day, and we're out of town too often for that."

Scully raised her eyebrows thoughtfully. "Yeah, I know what you mean," she said. Her gym renewal was coming up and she'd been reconsidering it for just that reason. She knew that was how most gyms and health clubs made their money but that didn't mean she wanted to keep giving hers to them without getting full value for it. "What do you know about this new place?"

"I got a brochure in the mail today if you want to stop by after work and check it out," he said all-too-nonchalantly, reaching for another seed.

"Just bring it in tomorrow, I'm busy tonight," she said, turning back to the computer.

"Ooh, you got a date, Scully?" he said in a teasing tone.

"I _am_ going to dinner with a friend, if it's any business of yours," she said offhandedly, hitting a few keys. "But since I don't date women, I wouldn't call it that. And no, you can't join us so don't even think about it."

"Did I ask?" he said in an offended tone. They both knew that she was referring to the time he'd spotted her and a friend at dinner and invited himself to their table. But he hadn't been quite as enthusiastic towards her very attractive friend when said friend's husband had returned from the restroom, though there would be no such happening tonight. Bonnie wasn't married but Scully wanted a pleasant, un-partner-interrupted meal with her old med school friend whom she hadn't seen in at least five years—in fact, since starting on the X-Files. With Mulder.

"Just letting you know," she said lightly, not wanting to start an argument. Lately they seemed to quibble over the smallest things, and she wondered if their partnership was beginning to fall apart. She knew of other mixed-gender teams who'd requested reassignment from each other after a few years, finding themselves becoming incompatible, but she hoped that wouldn't happen with them. For all his frustrating bullheadedness and willingness to believe damn near anything, she really liked Mulder on a personal level and enjoyed working with him despite all the crazy shit he got them into. "Maybe tomorrow evening we can go check out that gym if I like the sound of it."

"Maybe we can," he said, still in that annoyingly miffed tone. "But you never know, Scully, maybe _I'll_ have a date."

Scully sighed, knowing this was likely to be the format for the rest of the day. And as they were between assignments and mostly sitting around catching up on paperwork and waiting for something to pop up it was going to be a long, long day.

***

"Okay, bring it over."

"Scully?"

"You weren't busy, were you, Mulder?"

"Ah, no, just watching an, uh, movie," he said, glad he'd hit the mute button when the phone rang. He was pretty sure that Scully would _not_ be pleased if she could hear what he could see happening on the TV screen at the moment. "It's still early. What happened to dinner with your friend?"

"She got called away on an emergency almost as soon as we were done eating. That happens a lot to us doctor types," she sighed. "But if you don't mind bringing the brochure over here I'll check it out. I already changed into comfortable clothes and I'm in for the night."

His evening had just improved a hundred percent. He was, unfortunately, certain that Scully's idea of comfortable and his idea of comfortable were not the same thing. "Sure. Want me to pick up anything on the way over?"

Yeah, an X-ray machine so I can have my head examined for calling you, Scully thought. You drive me crazy at work all day and then I hang out with you in the evening; there must be _something_ wrong with me. "Just something to drink if you want it, I'm fine," she said out loud. "I'm going to brew a fresh pitcher of iced tea."

"That'll do for me too—see you in a few," he said, trying mask the happiness in his voice. After hanging up, he shut off the VCR and TV without another look at the gyrating couples there, grabbed his jacket and headed out whistling.

***

"This looks… intriguing," Scully said, flipping the tri-fold, full-color brochure over. "But I wonder what these private rooms are. They're the only way you can use the some of the equipment although it doesn't say exactly what, oddly enough."

"Yeah, I wondered about that too," Mulder said with studied nonchalance. He had not brought the middle insert of the brochure because he knew if she saw it she wouldn't go. "But there's only one way to find out."

"Okay," she said, folding the glossy paper and tossing it on the coffee table in front of them. "When did you want to go check it out?"

They were sitting on opposite ends of the couch, Mulder with his legs stretched out beneath the coffee table and Scully sitting cross-legged against the opposite arm. "Friday after work?" he hazarded. "We can each go home and change and meet there, how does that sound?"

"Actually I'm going to take my jeans and change at work because it seems to be pretty close," she said, taking a drink of her iced tea. "Looking at the address I don't think it's more than three or four blocks away."

"Good idea, I'll do the same," he agreed easily. "So. Now that that's settled, what do you have to watch around here?"

She raised a slender auburn brow. "Watch?"

"Scully, it's barely eight o'clock and we've both already had dinner. What else would you like to do?"

Her first thought was unspeakable—and she was trying not to think about that sort of thing anyway, especially with him of all people—so she reluctantly agreed as he unfolded his lanky frame to go look at her video collection. Actually she'd thought that he'd just bring the brochure by and leave, she hadn't realized he was going to stay but perhaps it wasn't a bad thing that she wasn't alone for yet another evening.

***

Friday promptly at six o'clock they each headed off to their respective restrooms with their duffle bags, meeting back in the office. Scully changed into a pair of dark new jeans with a thin, light purple cowl-necked sweater tucked into them and a thin white leather belt, while Mulder wore a pair of comfortably faded jeans and a plain black t-shirt. He couldn't help sneaking glances as he walked partly behind her as they left work; the belt really accentuated the tininess of her waist and alluring swing of her hips.

Not supposed to be thinking about my partner like that, Mulder reminded himself as they got out of the elevator in the parking garage. Partner. Friend. _Best_ friend. Not lover. No matter where my fantasies may take me, especially where we're going… must forget about that almost-kiss we don't discuss…

"Do you want to just take my car, Mulder?" she offered as they crossed the echoing cement towards the few cars still there. "No reason for both of us to drive."

"Yeah, I forgot to mention that I walked in today since I knew we were going to the gym after work."

She raised a brow as she dug her keys out of her jeans pocket. "Pretty sure of yourself, aren't you, Mulder?"

He affected his best innocent face. "We had plans!"

Although it was tempting and she really was annoyed she decided not to argue with him as they got into her Camry. "Tell me where. All I remember is that it's on Ninth."

He directed her there and it was indeed clearly within easy walking distance of the Hoover Building; they agreed that they shouldn't have bothered with the car. "Looks nice," Scully said in an aside to Mulder as he held the door for her. And it did; all chrome and green-tinted glass and steel, with pale green tile floors and an ultra-modern clear glass-and-acrylic desk just inside the doorway in the hobby.

"Fox Mulder and Dana Scully," Mulder said to the tanned and toned woman behind the desk who looked up expectantly. "We're supposed to meet Beth Davidson…?"

"Beth is one of our best personal trainers," the receptionist said agreeably. "Please sign in and I'll page her. She should be out momentarily."

Scully dragged him to the side by one belt loop after they'd signed their names on the computer printout on a clear acrylic clipboard. "Personal trainer, Mulder?" she hissed when he leaned down. "I can't afford that!"

"Just to show us around," he explained in an equally low voice. "Don't worry, I can't either."

Reassured, she let go of him and turned to see a tall, lean, leggy blonde with an almost identical haircut to hers and too-dark brows entering through a set of swinging doors. "Fox, Dana, hi!" she said cheerily. "Call me Beth! Nice to meet you! Welcome to Gemini Gym!"

Scully wondered offhandedly if the woman ever spoke without a clear exclamation mark at the end of every sentence. They all shook hands, then the tall woman—she had an inch or two on Mulder, Scully noted—led them to the swinging doors she'd come out of. She was wearing a tight Y-back white tank top tucked into snug pale green sweatpants, gradated-green striped leg warmers, and expensive Lady Reebok cross-trainers. She looked like the same designer who'd done the gym had dressed her, or perhaps this was a uniform of sorts. Scully hadn't seen leg warmers in a good ten years and wondered where in Heaven's name she'd found them.

As they walked, Beth explained that the gym was open six a.m. to midnight with a receptionist on duty at all times although there was a limit on how many people could be in the building at one time. "Memberships are—"

"Wait—I thought that there were no memberships here," Scully said as they headed for a row of doors at the far end of the room, which was a large open area with mats and exercise balls against the walls. The woman's long strides carried her ahead of them but Mulder slowed and walked a half-step behind Scully with his hand resting gently on the small of her back. She gave him a small close-mouthed smile in thanks that he returned with a nod and when the trainer noted that she was alone, slowed to walk beside them.

"We don't charge dues or membership fees, only by usage, but we do require a membership contract for one year with a credit card on file," the tall woman said as they passed through the room at a more sedate pace. Scully was fairly sure that the windows, which let out onto 9th street, were the kind that you could see out and not in. Or so she hoped, because she wasn't the type who liked to work out with people staring in at her. "With being open nearly twenty-four hours we can't have just anyone wandering in and out at any time."

"Makes sense," Scully agreed.

"This is our yoga room, by the way," the tall blonde said, gesturing back into the large, white-carpeted, empty room as she stopped before a frosted-glass door with the number four on it at the far end and. "If either of you are into meditation or yoga you're welcome to attend separately although--"

Scully frowned at the wording but Mulder immediately jumped in and asked about yoga classes, distracting her. Mulder doing yoga? It was akin to him suddenly getting an interest in flower arranging.

Finally the tall woman gestured to the door and said, "You two can go on from here. This will be your workout block tonight and after you've gone through all the rooms you'll end up back here. The swimming pool and track are at the halfway point. Be sure to sign out when you leave, too. If you're interested in joining see Sharon at the reception desk before you leave. Oh, and don't forget to lock the first door behind you—don't want anyone walking in on you!" She laughed throatily and winked at Mulder, then grinned down at Scully who stared back blankly. They all shook hands again and Beth turned back the way she'd come, trotting through the empty yoga room and disappearing.

Scully raised a brow at Mulder as he once again held the door for her. "Yoga, Mulder? Since when?"

"I hear the stretching is good for you, makes you limber," he said, throwing his usual leer and eyebrow raise at her as she passed him through the door, which was frosted glass. "But I'm not really interested, I was just being polite." Whew, he thought. Now if he could just get her through the rooms and hooked on the gym before she found out…

Scully looked around as they entered a small, brightly-lit, pale green-tiled but echoingly empty locker room while Mulder shot the bolt home behind them as Beth had advised. Two dark green metal lockers with a backless wooden bench in front of them stood against the wall just behind the door, while a large marble-tiled shower stall with a frosted glass door was beside them. On the other side of the entry door was a tall white metal shelving unit filled with fluffy folded towels, two robes hanging from either side of it. Otherwise the room was empty. A swinging clear glass door with the number 1 on it was at the other end and Scully walked over to see that it led into a oddly triangular-shaped room, frosted pale green glass walls with a pair of resistance machines set up side-by-side in the middle. At the far end of this room was another clear glass door and through it, she could just make out a pair of exercise bikes.

Then she turned back to see Mulder looking around with a slight frown. "Uh, Scully, looks like we'll have to take turns changing in the shower," he said, gesturing to the empty space around them. "I'm, um, surprised that they don't have changing stalls." He waited, bracing himself, for her to figure it out.

"Yeah," she agreed thoughtfully, setting her bag on the bench. "Or we could just be adult about it and turn our backs."

It was then that she noticed the third door behind the door they'd entered through, which was also clear glass and had the number 5 on it—backwards. "Oh, I get it," she said, sitting down to unlace her shoes and remove her socks. "These rooms must run in a big circle around the pool and jogging track; that's what she meant when she said that we'd end up back in the yoga room. I wonder how many sets of them there are?"

"The brochure said ten," Mulder said. "That's why I wanted to get in here as soon as possible. It's going to fill up fast—they're only taking forty cou--people for now until they see how the concept works."

Once again she noted how he chopped himself off but decided to ignore it—for now. Instead she pulled her leotard and sweats from her bag and said, "Don't turn around until I let you know it's all right."

"You can turn around anytime, Scully, I'm not shy," he said in a clearly joking tone, turning to face the number one door with his arms folded.

"You're about as far from shy as a human being gets, Mulder," she said right back, keeping an eye on him as she set her clothes on the bench in front of the locker and undressed. She'd changed into her sports bra and comfortable panties at work and now pulled on the snug black leotards with a pair of grey sweatpants and a baggy white t-shirt over them, then sat down with her sweatsocks and gym shoes, saying, "Your turn. I'll stay facing this way until you're done."

He moved up beside her, setting his bag on the bench and pulling out clothing which he set to the side. "We probably should have just changed into our workout clothes at work," he pointed out, sitting down next to her but facing the opposite way to remove his shoes and socks even as she finished tying her Nikes. "If we decide to start coming here we should do that from now on."

She mentally raised one eyebrow but didn't comment as she got up and put her clothing and bag into one of the two lockers. "C'mon, Mulder, don't take all day," she said, going over to the door where he'd stood as she put her hair up into a high ponytail. She looked into the other room through the door until she realized that she could faintly see his reflection in the glass—and he had not worn underwear beneath his jeans!

She felt her face flame but didn't move or react other than averting her eyes, fuming silently. Thank God she hadn't undressed down to bare skin because if she'd discovered that he'd seen her naked reflection she would have had to shoot him again and this time it would have been a good bit lower than his shoulder. But she would bide her time and get him back in her own way when he least expected it.

"Why're you in such a rush?" he asked, his voice muffled for a few moments as he pulled on a shirt. "Got a hot date later?"

"No, but I don't want to stand around here all evening," she managed to say in a normal tone of voice. "I usually only work out for an hour or two, I don't spend all evening at the gym."

"Don't forget the track and pool," he replied. "What do you usually use?"

He walked up next to her, now dressed in a pair of snug knee-length grey cotton shorts and a matching sleeveless t-shirt hanging out over it with his big feet encased in thick white sweat socks and Reeboks. "Treadmill and bike mostly, with some weight lifting… should we take our bathing suits for the pool, Mulder? If I recall the brochure correctly it's at the halfway point, isn't it?"

"Yeah, good idea—we probably should have worn them but I didn't think of it."

She bit her lip before she could remark that he needed to start wearing _something_ under his pants but managed to stop herself. "We can just take them with us, as I recall there's a changing room and shower at the pool."

With Mulder's swim trunks stuffed into the waistband of his shorts and Scully's maillot tossed over her shoulder they moved into the first room. Neither of them had used this type of resistance machine before but, luckily, there were instructions taped to the wall in front of them. "Hey, this isn't bad," Scully said sometime later as they stepped away from the machines. "That was a pretty good all-around workout."

Mulder wiped sweat from his face with the bottom of his t-shirt. "Yeah, I like those," he agreed, picking up her swimsuit from where she'd tossed it over the bench in one corner and handing it to her as they headed to the next room, the one with exercise bikes.

Scully unobtrusively eyed the expanse of slightly convex, muscular stomach he exposed as he wiped his face, her eyes dipping towards the waistband of his shorts before she could stop them. She was already beginning to realize that perhaps working out with him was not going to help keep her mind on him as nothing more than a friend and partner.

Like the Bowflex machines the bikes were side by side and they kept themselves amused by seeing who could either petal the fastest or on the highest setting for the longest.

Next were the treadmills, and to his surprise they were head-to-head so that they were looking at each other. "This is cozy, isn't it?" Scully said drily, tossing her bathing suit across a wooden folding chair in one corner.

"Works for me," Mulder said, stepping up on the machine and keeping his feet on the side rails while attaching the clip to his shirt. A rather large sign to his right proclaimed "Gemini Gym Not Liable for Treadmill Users Unless Emergency Stop Clip Is Used". The clip was supposed to stop the treadmill in case the user slipped or fell or turned it up too high, but Mulder privately thought that having it stop dead suddenly could be worse. "Rather look at you than a blank wall."

She shrugged, attaching the clip to the waistband of her sweatpants. They both put the machines on the lowest setting and then stepped on the moving belt at the same time. "Jeez this thing is slow," Mulder muttered, hitting the 'up' button repeatedly.

"Don't forget incline," Scully said, having found her speed quickly as she'd used this brand of treadmill before. "You get more resistance that way." She was walking very fast, at the highest speed before running. "Mulder, do you realize that we didn't stretch before starting?"

He looked up, startled, at her. "No, I totally forgot. Should be stop and do it?"

"No, by now we're warmed up but let's not forget when we're done," she said.

He tried for an easy jog, swinging his arms but then grabbing the side rails, slowing to a fast walk and shaking his head. "I hate these things," he said, pushing the 'faster' button again. "They never go at the exact speed I'd like."

This time when he looked up at movement across from him it was to see Scully whipping off her baggy t-shirt to show the upper half of her sleeveless black leotard beneath. The tight nylon was snug enough that it pushed her breasts up into what he privately thought was some mighty fine cleavage, which drew his eyes and made him mis-time a step or two. Even holding onto the rails he slipped and lost traction and, luckily, the clip attached to his shirt yanked the machine to a stop as he stumbled off the belt. "Damn!"

"What happened?" she asked, hitting Pause on hers and putting her feet on the rails again. "You all right?"

"Fine, I just can't get the speed right on this damn thing," he said, glaring at the treadmill. "Rather run on the track. Ready to move on? Weights next."

"Sure, whatever." She shrugged and turned her machine off, setting the clip in the holder on the display board for it. She picked up her t-shirt from the side rail and tossed it over her shoulder as she went over to get her bathing suit. "Ready when you are."

He led the way into the next room, which was smaller than the others but with mirrored walls, a single padded weight bench and two racks of weights along one wall. Mulder stopped and looked around, hands on hips. "Can we say conceited, boys and girls?" he grinned at his reflection.

"Hand weights!" Scully exclaimed happily, standing at one of the racks. "I have a set of tens at home, but I need to move up to fifteen-pounders."

He walked over. "You lift?"

"Just hand weights to keep my arms in shape. Can't throw slimeballs around with flabby biceps, you know." She plucked a pair of ten-pounders out of the rack and gestured him away. She then went through a ten-rep-each set of eight exercises, mostly centered on the bicep but also for the tricep, trapezius and brachioradial. Finished, she added, "See how easy that was? I'm not even straining by the tenth rep. I'll try the fifteen-pounders next time."

Mulder unstuck his tongue from the roof of his mouth, looking away before he made a fool of himself in front of his partner. These shorts would hide nothing and the t-shirt wasn't long enough to finish the job if he got aroused. He picked up a pair of twenty-pounders, figuring if she was using tens he'd be fine with these. "Show me those exercises," he said, putting his arms straight out to the sides the way he'd seen her start. But he hadn't lifted in years, trusting to frequent swimming, playing hoops and running to keep his arms in shape, and by the fifth rep on the third exercise he was beginning to labor and struggling to hide it from her; by the second rep on the fifth he'd had enough and lowered his arms. "Jesus, this is harder than it looks," he panted, switching to the ten-pounders. "I'll have to get some for myself."

"We can stop by the Dunham's by my house after dinner," she said, watching him as he continued the reps easier. "They're open 'til ten on the weekends and that's where I got mine."

"Deal," he said, feeling a bit better as he finished the exercises without trouble. "You ready to go for a swim?"

"That does sound good," she said agreeably, scooping up her shirt and dark blue maillot from the weight bench. "Next time I'll be sure to wear my suit; I'm pretty tired of dragging it around."

"Get a bikini and you can just carry it in your waistband like I do my trunks," he leered as he held the last door for her. They emerged into a large glassed-in patio area with pale green tile flooring and white wrought-iron tables and chairs, another glass door leading to an Olympic-sized pool beyond the glass panels. Several drink and snack machines lined one wall, mostly filled with sports drinks, water, and protein and granola bars.

She gave him The Look and a long-suffering sigh. "Go change, Mulder," she said with exasperation, pointing at the door that announced "Men's Locker Room" to their right even as she moved towards its contemporary on the other side.

Above the pool was a suspended running track which looked to be no more than two people wide and very flimsy from their vantage point. They both looked up at it, glanced at each other, and looked away before heading off to their respective changing rooms. The glance said _I don't think so_.

When she came out he was sitting at one of the tables with a bottle of spring water in one hand, another on the table in front of an empty chair. She paused for a moment to study him from the back, sorry to see that he wasn't wearing the infamous red Speedo that she'd heard about through the grapevine but instead a pair of plain black trunks. Jesus but he had a good body, she thought, not overdone but clearly well-toned and fit. His long, lean runner and swimmer's muscles were at rest now but she couldn't wait to see them in action. Though somewhat aghast at her own thoughts Scully was enough of a realist to know that she worked with an extremely attractive member of the opposite sex and kept herself on guard against that—most of the time. Still, the sight of those bare broad shoulders tapering down to a lean waist… she could indulge herself for just a moment, couldn't she?

Without warning he turned and looked back at her with a quirked brow, his eyes skimming briefly but meaningfully up and down her figure as he threw one arm over the back of his chair. "How long you going to stand back there, Scully, you afraid to let me see you in a bathing suit?"

She felt her face warm with embarrassment but forced it back as she moved to sit in the chair to his right. Should have known, she thought, not much got past him. "Just looking around," she said coolly, eyes on the mostly-empty pool beyond the glass walls although she wasn't really paying attention as she tried to calm herself. Indicating the bottle of water she added, "This for me?"

"Yep, figured we needed it by now," he said. "Everything in the vending machines is gratis, believe it or not." It was all he could do to not stare at her and remain casual; for her height she was perfectly proportioned with the type of figure he preferred, hourglass and curvy with well-turned hips and a small waist rather than long and lean like the personal trainer. And her legs! Jesus! For all that he saw them in skirts this was different and he couldn't help sneaking glances around the wrought-iron table at her toned thighs. Though they weren't long they were likely the most perfect pair he'd ever seen anywhere.

"Thanks," she said, unscrewing the cap and taking a drink herself. "So what are we waiting for?"

"Well, I was waiting for you then I noticed them," he said, pointing to the far end of the pool. "Not sure we should interrupt them, what do you think?"

She followed where his finger indicated and could only see two heads above the water; at this distance she couldn't make out anything else but the implication was clear. "Are they…?"

"I don't think so, but I'm afraid if we don't interrupt they may foul the pool," Mulder said drily.

"Then let's get interrupting," she said, setting down her half-empty water bottle and standing up, pulling the elastic out of her hair so it fell around her face in its usual cap, albeit a bit more disheveled, and tossed the band on the table. "I've been looking forward to a swim all week and I'm not going to let a couple of horny idiots who can get a room instead of screwing in the pool ruin it for me!"

Mulder followed her into the warm, echoing pool room, casting an admiring glace at her back as she finished her sentence. And it wasn't just because she had the most shapely trim back he'd ever seen, it was for her no-nonsense attitude too; most women he knew would have retreated from this situation but not his partner. She barreled into the other room full steam ahead, talking loudly about going to buy weights when they were done. The couple in the pool moved apart and then climbed out, casting annoyed glances over their shoulders as Mulder and Scully got towels from the gazebo and tossed them over a pair of green-and-white lounge chairs at their end of the pool. The other couple disappeared through a door with the number three on it at the far end and Mulder remarked, "I hope they're not too loud if they decide to get down and dirty in there. That's right next to where we're going next."

"Then let's take our time swimming and give them plenty of time to finish up," Scully said, grinning at him before stepping up onto the low diving board. "See you at the other end."

He watched as she bounced lightly a few times then dove off with almost perfect form, slipping beneath the water with only a low splash and then doing an easy sidestroke towards the far end of the large pool. Mulder's preferred stroke was the front crawl although he also excelled at the breaststroke and backstroke. It was a simple matter for him to easily catch her not even halfway with the front crawl, though he then slowed to her speed and changed to the backstroke so that they finished an entire lap that way.

Hanging onto the side of the pool near the diving board Scully dashed the water out of her face and turned to him. "Jesus you're fast, Mulder," she said. "What's your best time?"

"I haven't been timed since high school," he said. "But I won my share of meets."

"I never swam competitively, but I was on the dive team for while in junior high," Scully said reflectively. It didn't surprise her in the least to find out that he'd been on the swim team. "At least until I grew a chest and ruined my form."

Mulder bit his lip nearly bloody trying not to make a smart remark that would likely get him slapped at the very least; even if she didn't have her gun he knew she could do him some serious damage if he pissed her off enough. "What do you say we boil for a while before doing another lap?"

"Boil? You mean use the sauna or hot tub?"

He grinned at her as they swam for the ladder and he gestured her to precede him. "Hot tub. Saunas don't do much for me."

By the time they left the pool area forty minutes or so later, back in their workout clothes and again carrying their bathing suits Scully had talked him into ten minutes in the sauna despite his protests and they'd ended up doing a good four laps of the pool in between that and a soak in the Jacuzzi. "Jeez, I'm ready for a nap," Mulder said as he held the frosted glass door for Scully to enter their next exercise room. "I could—"

They both stopped dead and stared at the contents of the room. There was what looked to be a professional massage table with long flat cushions and both headrest and round face cutout against one wall. Nearby was a waist-high side table with a variety of what was likely bottles of massage oils on top, several snowy white towels and sheets folded neatly on the bottom shelf. What there wasn't was a changing room or robes, and the table was low and wide enough that it was clearly not _just_ for massages.

"Okay, enough is enough," Scully said turning to face him with hands on hips, a dark frown marring her brow. One hand held her still-damp bathing suit which dripped on the pale green tile floor every now and then. "What gives, Mulder? No changing stalls in the locker room, treadmills face-to-face, people having trysts in the pool, and now this—a nicely set up love-nest if ever I've seen one. Spill it or I'm out of here!"

She glared up at him, a good six inches shorter in her gym shoes, all determined set shoulders and narrowed blue eyes, her dark wet hair slicked back against her skull as she hadn't put it up again. But despite her diminutive size he knew better than to cross her or push her too far, and knew he'd reached his limit on her patience. "Okay, fine, Scully, it's a couples' gym."

"Couples gym?" she repeated. "You mean, they only take couples as in married?"

"Or just dating," he said defensively. "But they only sign people up as a couple, assuming romantic, although they don't discriminate against same-sex couples. That's why I needed you to come with me."

She narrowed her eyes. "And you don't trust me enough to tell me the truth?"

"It's not that! I was afraid you wouldn't come if I told you!"

"I knew the truth and I still came," she said, unable to hold in her huge grin any longer. "God, I had you bigtime!"

He gaped at her, stunned. "What?!"

"I got one of those brochures too, Mulder, only I found mine on my car when I had to park on the street a couple weeks back," she said, going over and hoisting herself up on the edge of the massage table. Her feet dangled a good two feet from the floor as she swung her legs. "I thought about asking you to go but then forgot about it. I wasn't sure you were taking about the same place until you showed me the brochure with the insert missing."

"Son of a… why didn't you just tell me?" he said, hoisting himself up next to her so that their shoulders brushed. Somehow, though, he wasn't surprised that she'd been onto him the whole time and couldn't find it in himself to be angry at her since it was exactly the type of thing he'd have done in the same situation. "Why all this?"

She grinned saucily up at him. "Because I got to yank _your_ chain for a change," she said. "Trust me, it was quite amusing to watch you trying to keep me from finding out. The bit with the yoga classes was worth every minute!"

He shook his head, unable to hide his own grin. "I guess I should stop trying to fool you, eh?"

"You do seem to occasionally forget that I'm a trained investigator too," she agreed with no malice. "So, Mulder, you still want to join?"

Still smiling in defeat he shook his head. "This is a bit much for me," he admitted. "As much fun as it's been hanging out with you I also don't spend hours working out. A couple miles' run and six or eight laps is good for me."

"Yeah, I prefer to do the exercise bike and treadmill then hit the sauna, hot tub, and swim," she agreed. "Guess I'll just renew my membership at Michael's for another year."

"You're welcome to join me running if you'd like," he said, bumping her shoulder with his bare one. "I can give you a call when I go."

"I'd like that," she smiled over at him.

He hopped down and held a hand out to her, which she accepted and jumped down as well. "Sure you don't want to give this massage table a whirl?" he said, waggling his eyebrows at her as he let go of her hand.

"In your dreams, Mulder," she said with a flip of her still-damp hair as she walked away.

"In my dreams indeed," he murmured too low for her ears, following her out of the room.

_finis_


End file.
